The CFO’s Case for On-Premises DBaaS: Repatriation and Cost Control

Enter VMware Data Services Manager: Public Cloud Experience, Private Cloud Economics Conclusion: Cloud is an Operating Model, Not a Location Discover more from VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) Blog Related Articles The 75% Productivity Gain: Moving to Policy-Based Database Management 5 Key Principles of Modern Applications VCF Breakroom Chats Episode 73 - Next-Gen Data Services: The DBaaS Revolution with VCF 9 For years, the “cloud first” directive assumed that modernization required exiting the data center. That binary thinking is now obsolete. The industry has realized that private cloud is not a location, but an operating model. Instead of viewing on-premises infrastructure as a legacy anchor, forward-thinking IT leaders are using it to deliver the same agility and automation as the public cloud—but with 61% faster workload deployment and significantly lower risk. This shift is most critical at the data layer. While infrastructure has modernized, databases often remain stuck in legacy ticket-based workflows. This is where VMware Data Services Manager (DSM) changes the game. As we look at the landscape in 2026, the tide has turned. We are witnessing a private cloud renaissance. Organizations are no longer moving to the public cloud by default. Instead, we are seeing a “boomerang effect”—a strategic repatriation of workloads. Why? Because the “cloud first” bill has finally come due.